The Council of Europe, well-known for the European Court of Human Rights and based in Strasbourg (France), has over 40 years experience of working with European governments in the field of local and regional democracy, helping authorities of all levels to improve the way they exercise public authority, the services they deliver to citizens, as well as to strengthen good governance. Over the years, it has developed an important wealth of knowledge and an institutional and legal acquis in the field of good democratic governance, such as the European Charter of Local Self-Government, adopted in 1985 and applicable today in 44 CoE member States.
From the Council of Europe website you can get information on:
- the financial crisis at local level,
- latest European research on policy at local level,
- European Court of Human Rights’ and the European Committee of Social Rights’ decisions of consequence for the local level with regard to respect for the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter respectively (both bodies and their treaties are part of the Council of Europe).
- Other matters of local concern.
Photo credit: Council of Europe, Strasbourg taken by Dominique Edte